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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: current · stem · spell · firm · wake · rash · cue · stock

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. spell — magic
  3. spell — letters
  4. current — electric
  5. stock — goods
  6. firm — decided
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. current — happening now
  9. spell — a short time
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. current — of water
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stock — shares
  14. rash — hasty
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. stem — to come from
  18. cue — a hint
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. firm — a company
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cue — a signal
  23. firm — steady
  24. rash — a series

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com